ByScott Baldauf, Staff writerMarch 12, 2012

Kenyan policemen secure the blast area after four explosions in Kenya's capital Nairobi March 10. An explosion at a bus station in downtown Nairobi on Saturday evening killed at least two people and wounded more than 30, the Kenyan Red Cross said.

This is now the second major grenade attack in Kenya since Kenyan armed forces crossed the northern border into Somalia in mid-October 2011. The Kenyan troops are part of a four-pronged joint attack against Al Shabab, led by African Union peacekeeping forces in Mogadishu, Ethiopian forces, and a pro-government militia group called Ahlu Sunna wal Jamaa.

As a frontline state with a large ethnic Somali population, a long porous border, and an economy that is heavily dependent on foreign investment and tourism, Kenya has much to lose if Islamist insurgents bring the battle to Kenya’s own urban areas. But Kenyan officials say they are committed to the fight, and ensuring that Al Shabab does not continue to threaten Kenya’s own national interests.

"This is an act of people who think that they can puncture the resolve to fight terror,” said Kenyan Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, on a visit to Jomo Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi. “It is a difficult moment but it should strengthen our resolve and am sure we will win."

Over Twitter, the banned jihadist group Muslim Youth Center – a Kenyan ally of Al Shabab – crowed that the Kenyan police at the bus station had taken cover during the bus station grenade attack.

“Eyewitnesses recount how Nairobi police fled in fear and locked themselves up in a toilet when the blast happened yesterday. Cowards!” read one tweet from @MYC_Press, the Muslim Youth Center’s press office. “Contd: hardly an act of serve and protect...so they actually fear jihad,” read another.

“I would like to tell Somalis that they must be alert and ready to work closely with Kenyan security forces,” Mr. Hassan told reporters after a visit to Kenyatta National Hospital. “They must be aware of those who are working to damage their dignity and targeting Kenyan civilians. If anyone sees suspicious people they must report them to the closest police station to prevent harm to civilians and to the security of Kenya.”